1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a fastener mountable in a fiber cement substrate, including, e.g., a fiber cement substrate mounted to a support such as a steel or wooden stud.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fiber cement substrates such as hardiboard may be cladding made of cellulose fibers mixed with cement. This cladding is touted as a durable, effective alternative to traditional wood or aluminum siding, trim, soffits, weather barrier and backerboard. Due to its dense structure, this substrate may be resistant to termites and pests and may be expected to last for decades with little or no maintenance. Examples of Hardiboard include products manufactured by James Hardie International, e.g., HARDIEPLANK and HARDIEPANEL.
While aiding in durability, the density of fiber cement panels limits the types of fasteners that may be used to mount objects to the panels, or it may impose additional installation steps. For example, nails typically are impact driven into the panels to penetrate the panels quickly and fasten them to underlying supports. Mounting objects may require the use of similar nails, or it may require the user to drill a pilot hole in order to use other types of fasteners.
If traditional drywall fasteners are used, the internal material may be driven out of the hole, toward the fastener head, causing a furl or lump to be raised on the face of the panel, which may inhibit the fastener head or the object to be mounted from seating flush with the panel, and it may worsen engagement of the fastener with the panel and/or support. To minimize this furl, a separate pre-drilling step of providing a pilot hole may be necessary, requiring the installer to have additional tools and leading to increased planning and installation time.
Due to the density of the panel, traditional stud finders may be ineffective at locating underlying supports, be they wooden or steel studs, or other supports. In addition, these fasteners may be ineffective at penetrating and engaging an underlying stud unless a pilot hole is created. In this event, the user either requires additional installation steps or runs the risk of hitting and not being able to engage the support. In the latter case, the fastener may push against the surface of the support without penetrating it, which may push the panel away from the support and worsen the connection between the panel and the support, or it may cause the fastener to spin in place when the tip contacts the support, causing the fastener threads to strip out the hole. In addition, the user may have to back the fastener out and drive it in a different location, leaving an unsightly hole in the panel.
What is needed is a holder mountable to a fiber cement or similar substrate in a variety of locations that may be easily installed for increased pullout resistance and load capacity.